IRS phobia is a real thing that we see more often. Phobia is defined as: “A phobia is a type of anxiety disorder defined by a persistent and excessive fear of an object or situation. The phobia typically results in a rapid onset of fear and is present for more than six months.” People having IRS phobia tend to find themselves in a situation that they feel is beyond themselves or beyond what they can mentally handle. We have seen people refuse to open letters from the IRS fearing the worst. We have seen people close to panic attacks when discussing their tax issues. We have seen people in tears, feelings of stress, and even thoughts of hurting themselves. All these things we have seen is heart breaking.
It would be easy for me to say that all this is unnecessary, there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and most all tax situations are fixable. Although this is true, but I don’t want to sound insensitive to feelings of people who have IRS phobia. But there is good news and I want to share with you some tips that may help you.
First, dealing with a phobia is one of the hardest things to do. But making small steps towards overcoming some of the anxiety is being informed. If you go to IRS.gov website, there are numerous links that help people understand their rights. YES, you have rights. Publication 1 is the Taxpayers Bill of Rights. The right to be informed, the right to quality service, the right to challenge the IRS, plus other rights that will help people understand the IRS’s obligations to you.
Second, although being informed is critical to overcome IRS phobia, having support from family and friends is just as critical. Some people who have tax debt, keep it a secret from others due to various reasons , usually embarrassment. But don’t be embarrassed. Millions of people have or have had tax debt issues, it’s not uncommon. In fact, during the housing crisis, millions of people found themselves in tax debt due to foreclosed real estate, loss of jobs, etc. Some people are still trying to get out of tax debt from that period. If you talk with people about your tax debt, it may help you to understand that many others are in the same boat as you and may provide some insight to help you out. In fact, majority of our business comes from people who refer others to our office for tax help. Plus, having someone to talk to about stressful matters, relieves the anxiety and lowers the blood pressure. Why do you think there are so many support groups out there?
Lastly, although I could go on for pages, this blog should be short and sweet to help those who fear the IRS. So, my last bit of insight is this… people with IRS phobia can be prime candidates to be scammed. As awful as that sounds, it is true. Over the past years, people have received phone calls from people claiming to be from the IRS saying if they don’t pay some money today, they will be arrested. Scammers have made millions over this scam. Please remember, tax agencies including IRS, FTB, EDD, BOE (CDTFA) will not call you and will not email you. They send letters in the mail. Once you have made contact with them, you will establish a contact person and will have their information. Unless you have a letter from one of these tax entities, do not call back any numbers of people who may leave a message on your voice mail claiming to be from a tax entity. Don’t become a victim to a scam. If you’re not sure, call our office with the details and we will help you know whether it is a scam or not.
Hope this insight helps. But remember, this is what our office does, taxes. Audits, resolution, tax preparation, tax consulting, and tax compliance.
